Zimbabwe government moots rand-based pricing

WHILE various media have reported
that Zimbabwe is adopting randbased
pricing in the tourism sector,
Zimbabwean tour operators say they
will continue to price in dollars.
According to Zimbabwean Minister of
Finance and Economic Development,
Patrick Chinamasa, the government is
only encouraging the use of the rand.
“In order for tourism industry
to cushion itself from the current
liquidity and cash crisis, it is highly
recommended that the sector
commences the use of the randbased
pricing system,” said the
Minister during his mid-year fiscal
policy review in Parliament earlier this
month.
When TNW contacted tour operators
in Zimbabwe, they had not heard of
the government’s recommendation to
move to rand-based pricing and said
it was unlikely that they would make
the change.
“Everything in the Zimbabwean
tourism industry is based in US
dollars and, for the foreseeable future,
we’ll continue to be based in US
dollars,” said Shane White, sales and
marketing manager of Wild Horizons.”
Africa Albida Tourism finance and
operations director, Nigel Frost,
said: “We price in US$ as it is
the most stable currency but we
accept payment in all the approved
currencies.”